In a monitoring system that is installed in a prescribed position (for example, a ceiling or a wall) within a factory, a store (for example, a retail store or a bank), a shopping center, and a public place (for example, a station or a library), a plurality of camera apparatuses are connected through a network, and monitoring of picture data (which, hereinafter, includes a still image and a moving image) in a prescribed range for a monitoring target is performed in a monitoring apparatus that is installed in one place.
However, in monitoring of only a picture, because there is necessarily a limitation on an amount of information that is acquired, there is an increasing demand for a monitoring system that can obtain voice data in order to perform monitoring that uses voice.
In response to this demand, there is a product in which a microphone is mounted in one or several camera apparatuses and audio data is transmitted to a network in a state of being superimposed on picture data. However, in most cases, the microphone that is used in this product is non-directional, and for example, although the microphone is unidirectional, this directional characteristic is a wide angle. Therefore, in most cases, sound that is desired to be heard in the monitoring is drowned out by noise and thus is not heard.
In contrast, in a monitoring camera system, for example, as is disclosed in PTL 1, a microphone array that satisfies a requirement for detecting a direction in which abnormal sound occurs or for desirably hearing only sound in a specific direction while being drowned out by noise is under development. The microphone array in PTL 1 is used in order that a plurality of microphone units are arranged and in order that voice from a place designated by a user is reproduced on a screen on which a picture that is image-captured in a monitoring camera (for example, an omnidirectional camera) is displayed, in a highlighting manner, using the voice that is sound-picked up in each microphone unit.
However, in an existing monitoring system that is installed for the main purpose of monitoring of a picture by the monitoring camera (hereinafter simply referred to as a camera), in a case where a microphone array for monitoring voice is additionally installed later, in most cases, an attachment place is a high-height place, such as a ceiling. Thus, work for the additional installation is difficult.
FIGS. 13A to 13C are diagrams for describing later additional work in a case where microphone array 105 is attached to camera 103 that is already installed, on which existing LAN cables 191 and 191A are laid. FIG. 13A illustrates an installation example in which camera 103 is already installed. Camera 103 is installed on ceiling 118. Camera LAN connector 131 is provided on a rear-side end portion of a case of camera 103. LAN cable 191 of which an end portion (a plug) is inserted into camera LAN connector 131 is laid through hole 118a that is formed in ceiling 118 facing a rear side of the case of camera 103, and is connected to PoE apparatus 106 that is linked to network 109. Camera 103 is connected to network 109 through LAN cable 191 in such a manner that communication is possible, and operates with supply of electric power from PoE apparatus 106 that is present between camera 103 and network 109.
FIG. 13B illustrates an installation example in which microphone array 105 is additionally installed later to camera 103 that is already installed. Microphone LAN connector 151 is provided within an opening that is formed in a case of ring-type microphone array 105 which is installed in such a manner to externally fit camera 103, and LAN cable 191B for a microphone, of which an end portion (a plug) is inserted into microphone LAN connector 151, is connected to PoE apparatus 106 in such a manner to run along LAN cable 191A for a camera. That is, two cables, long LAN cable 191B for a microphone and LAN cable 191A for a camera, which have almost the same length, are laid within a space between a roof and a ceiling.
FIG. 13C illustrates other one installation example in which microphone array 105 is additionally installed later to camera 103 that is already installed. PoE hub 108 that causes LAN cable 191 which is linked to PoE apparatus 106 to ramify is installed within the space between the roof and the ceiling. Short LAN cable 192 for a camera is connected between one connector of PoE hub 108 and camera LAN connector 131, and short LAN cable 193 for a microphone is connected between the other connector of PoE hub 108 and microphone LAN connector 151.
FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams for describing later additional work in a case where microphone array 105 is attached to camera 103 that is already installed, on which existing LAN cables 191 and DC cable 194 are laid.
FIG. 14A illustrates an installation example in which camera 103 is already installed. Camera 103 is installed on ceiling 118. Camera LAN connector 131 and camera DC connector 132 are provided on a rear-side end portion of the case of camera 103. In the same manner as in FIG. 13A, LAN cable 191 of which an end portion (a plug) is inserted into camera LAN connector 131 is laid through hole 118a that is formed in ceiling 118 facing a rear side of the case of camera 103, and is connected to connector 109. In this case, LAN cable 191 is laid in a manner that is dedicated for communication, not for the PoE apparatus. Furthermore, DC cable 194 of which an end portion (a plug) is inserted into camera DC connector 132 is linked to electric power source apparatus 116, such as an AC adaptor, which is installed in the space between the roof and the ceiling. Camera 103 is connected to network 109 through LAN cable 191 in such a manner that the communication is possible, and operates with supply of electric power from electric power source apparatus 116.
FIG. 14B illustrates an installation example in which microphone array 105 is additionally installed later to camera 103 that is already installed. Microphone LAN connector 151 and microphone DC connector 152 are provided within the opening that is formed in the case of ring-type microphone array 105. In the same manner as in FIG. 13B, LAN cable 191B for a microphone, which is connected to microphone LAN connector 151, is laid in such a manner as to run along LAN cable 191A for a camera. On the other hand, DC cable 195 for a microphone, of which an end portion (a plug) is inserted into microphone DC connector 152 is connected to electric power source apparatus 116 in such a manner as to run along DC cable 194 for a camera. Therefore, a total of four cables, long DC cable 195 for a microphone and DC cable 194 for a camera, which have almost the same length, in addition to long LAN cable 191B for a microphone and LAN cable 191A for a camera, which has almost the same length, are provided with the space between the roof and the ceiling.
In this manner, in a case where later additional work for adding a microphone array that monitors voice to the camera that is already installed is performed, an amount of work for installation increases. Therefore, it is desirable that the amount of work for installation is reduced. Furthermore, it is also desirable that a small amount of work for installation is performed in initial work for newly installing a monitoring system.
Additionally, in a case where an omnidirectional camera and a microphone array are attached on the same axis, because coordinates of a picture and voice are consistent with each other (more precisely, an image capture direction from the omnidirectional camera and a direction in which voice that is sound-picked up by the microphone array is emphasized are the same), a problem does not particularly occur, but in a case where the monitoring camera and the microphone array are attached separately from each other, a positional relationship between the monitoring camera and the microphone array is unclear. Therefore, for example, when initial setting is performed, if a correspondence relationship between a coordinate system of the monitoring camera and a coordinate system of the microphone array is not obtained, it is difficult to form directionality of voice in a direction toward a predetermined position in which the monitoring camera captures an image while the monitoring is in progress.
Particularly, for the reason of strength or a structure of a building or a structured body, when there is a limitation on an attachment position of the monitoring camera or the microphone array, information on an actual attachment position is not obtained precisely. Therefore, in order to obtain the correspondence relationship between the coordinate system of the camera and the coordinate system of the microphone array, if the attachment position or direction or the like has to be measured on the spot, work that requires a lot of labor is necessary in addition to a dedicated measuring instrument.
An object of the present disclosure is to reduce an amount of work for installation when a monitoring system is set up in a state of being combined with a camera. Another object of the present disclosure is to reduce an amount of work for installation when a monitoring system is set up in a state of being combined with a camera, by suitably forming directionality in a predetermined image capture position and clearly outputting voice in a prescribed image capture position, even in a case where a positional relationship between a camera and a microphone array is unclear.